Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Naomi Osaka once again grabbed attention at the Australian Open, not just for her tennis but for her unique fashion statement. The former world number one from Japan made a dramatic entrance for her first-round match on Tuesday, stepping onto centre court at Rod Laver Arena holding a white parasol. She also wore a matching wide-brimmed hat and a light, gauzy veil.Watch:The 28-year-old, who is well known for expressing herself through fashion both on and off the court, waved confidently to the crowd before calmly folding the parasol and placing the hat and veil neatly to the side. While completing pre-match formalities, Osaka still wore part of her pleated outfit on the lower half of her body, before changing into a more traditional tennis kit for the actual match against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic.At the same time as her appearance on court, Vogue magazine published an interview in which Osaka explained the deeper meaning behind what the magazine described as “her exoskeletal look”. Osaka said, “When I look back at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments — those looks — have become memories that live forever.”She added that the outfit was also about taking control of her own narrative, saying, “So much of the time, other people get to write our stories for us. This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”According to Vogue, the inspiration came from a touching moment at home with her two-year-old daughter, Shai. Osaka revealed, “There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her, she got so excited.” That idea carried through to her turquoise and green match outfit, which featured jellyfish-like tendrils hanging from the sleeves.
